“Manchester is lucky to have Carringtons, a treasure trove of largely direct-source wines, often sourced from smaller or organic producers, and particularly strong on the Rhône.” Not the words of Manchester’s Finest, but the thoughts of Decanter Magazine in 2023. Suffice to say, then, the reputation of what might be south Manchester’s best specialist wine, beer and spirit store goes well beyond the city and county limits, having picked up a slew of national and regional awards, nominations and accolades over the decades.
These range from Off License of the Year according to Off License News, to supplying the Savoy Hotel for its coveted Master of Culinary Arts events (the first time in 150 years beer had been served to diners at the hotel). Now more than 30 years old, Carringtons was founded by brothers Ciaran and Michael Keaney, who were on a mission to ensure fine wine did not remain the sole preserve of Londoners, and have watched on as their store has grown into the thing of Mancunian legend, building its name on word of mouth, letting hard work do the talking.
Not that the staff aren’t happy to chat through recommendations based on your preferences, or look into ordering specific items they may not be carrying on the day. Intimate and wonderfully charming, just like the stock those behind the counter add plenty of character to the experience, and are on hand to guide you through more than 2000 products available. Think Domaine Courbis, Domaine Louis Cheze, Domaine de la Janasse, Stephane Ogier, Le Clos du Caillou, Domaine Dubost, and Champagne JP DeVille. Or an incredible selection of hand-picked imported beers. Not to mention the abundant range of incredible whiskies, gins, rums, cognacs and more. Finally, customers can also enjoy tasting and Meet the Maker events, on-premise drinking, and online sales via the Carringtons website.